


One Sided Talk

by MeganWrites



Series: Conversations [2]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-22
Updated: 2014-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-20 09:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1505087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeganWrites/pseuds/MeganWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lip's breath hitched as Mickey swung the door open, the parallels racing through his mind nearly collapsing him. He reached out and gripped the door frame, trying with no luck to swallow the lump in his throat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Sided Talk

**Author's Note:**

> Set after 4x12

Lip's breath hitched as Mickey swung the door open, the parallels racing through his mind nearly collapsing him. He reached out and gripped the door frame, trying with no luck to swallow the lump in his throat. He saw Mickey shuffling beside him and muttering, "gonna grab some toast or some shit." The dark haired man rubbing his lips and walking down the hall away from the open door.

Lip's eyes settled back on the person shaped lump curled up on the bed. He stepped into the room cautiously, walking around the bed and crouching down beside the mattress until his eyes leveled to meet Ian's red rimmed, wet eyes.

"Hey," Lip spoke softly, almost choking on his words and shuffling through what he could possibly say next. "I think this is the quietest the Milkovich house has ever been," Lip laughed weakly, "it's weird, but the neighbors are probably thankful."

Ian remained silent, his eyes unfocused as if he was staring through Lip.

Lip breathed in and smiled, "I passed all my classes, didn't know if I would or if I could." He reached leaned back until he sat properly on the floor, spreading his legs out in front of him. "You'd think after all those SAT's I took college would be easy, turns out it's not." He reached forward and put his hand on Ian's covered arm, "I missed talking to you, wanted to call you almost everyday the first month, you kind of forced me to be really independent for the first time." Lip felt water welling in his eyes and clenched his teeth, "always looking out for me, even when you don't mean to."

Ian closed his eyes, it was the biggest reaction Lip had seen since entering the room.

He felt an ache in his chest, if only he had been looking out for Ian. He didn't know how he missed it, how he had been so self-involved to miss what Ian had been going through. He should have talked to him more, found him earlier, forced him to come home... he should have never let Ian leave. The guilt gnawed at Lip but he forced a smile on his face, Ian didn't need Lip's guilt to weigh on him too.

"How's living with Mickey?" Lip asked, it was silent for a moment before he continued speaking, never really expecting an answer. He glanced around the room, "never been in his room before, bit of a cluttered mess." Lip's laugh was cut short as he felt a pair of rolled up socks hit his head.

"Watch it asshole." Lip looked up and saw Mickey standing by the door holding a plate of toast and a glass of water. "Brought this for him," he said and walked around to place them on the side table by Lip and Ian.

If it had been a week earlier Lip would have been all over the opportunity to mock Mickey for being so domestic, now all he felt was relief. Mickey turned around, walking back to the door, only pausing to put a hand on Ian's thigh and rubbing gently with his thumb and watching the redhead with wide sad eyes. "I'll be in the living room whenever your done talking," Mickey spoke quickly and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Lip looked at the toast and back to Ian,"he's not half bad." Lip reached up grabbing a piece of toast, "Hungry?"

Ian pulled the covers up, hiding half his face and Lip had his answer.

Lip nodded and placed the toast back, "it'll be there when you are." Lip crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, he started to talk about his semester at school, his struggles for the first month and how hard it was to teach himself how to study ("I feel your pain," he said thinking of the summer filled with trigonometry lessons, "studying is harder than a I thought it would be."), the girls wanting more than a quick fuck, and how it felt to get his first 'A' knowing that he had really worked for it.

"There's this girl I'm seeing - Amanda. Kind of funny that Mandy and I break up and I end up with an Amanda," Lip clicked his tongue as he rambled about his life, just thinking of things to talk about and hoping for some reaction from Ian. "She's messed up, spoiled and rich with a dick for dad. Not that dicks for dads is a new thing."

Maybe he was just seeing what he wanted but Lip liked to think that Ian almost smiled.

"She buys me things and let's me drive her car, even got her dad to give me ten thousand dollars. It reminds me of you with all your sugar daddies," Lip grinned, "I finally get what you were talking about, it's kind of nice."

Lip looked up at the closed door and lowered his voice, "Mandy saw me with her the other day, at the waffle place she works at now, pretended she didn't know me. Never felt so awkward and out of place, like I didn't know where I fit anymore," he looked down, his hands fidgeting in his lap, "I _don't know_ where I fit anymore."

He looked up at Ian and saw the younger man's sheet had been pulled from his face, his eyes were softer and filled with tears but Lip could tell he was really looking at him for the first time that night. It was silent for a long moment, the brothers just watching each other and waiting for the first one to make a movement.

"You hungry?" Lip asked again.

Ian's voice was hoarse and quiet when he spoke, "I'm tired." Ian pulled the sheet up once more and rolled over, turning away from Lip and breaking the moment.

Lip nodded and stood, "okay, I'll see you later Ian."

He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him and walking into the living room. It was late and the house was silent, Mickey still sat in the living room with Mandy on the opposite end of the couch as him. They weren't saying a word, both lost in their thoughts with worried looks etched on their faces. The floor creaked under Lip's feet and both heads snapped up in his direction, Lip waved weakly at Mandy, she pursed her lips, stood, and walked out of the room without a word.

He wondered if things would ever be okay between them again.

His thoughts were cut short as Mickey was on his feet and standing in front of Lip. The thug was biting his lip and shuffling from foot to foot, "he eat? Drink?" Mickey asked and muttered "fuck" as Lip shook his head.

"Just listened to me talk," Lip explained, "didn't talk or do much."

Mickey nodded, "better than throwing you out."

Lip reached forward and put a hand on Mickey's shoulder, he wasn't sure why he did it but he just knew that he had never seen someone looking so lost and scared, "he's going to get better." Lip assured Mickey, "it's going to take some work, but Ian can do it."

Mickey stood still for a moment before pulling away from Lip's grip on his shoulder and looking back at his closed bedroom door longingly, "I should go check on him."

Lip nodded, "yeah, definitely."

"Thanks," Mickey muttered as Lip walked towards the door, blinked away tears and repeated Lip's words, "he's gonna get better."

Lip smiled and stepped out into the cold.

**Author's Note:**

> I got the random inspiration to write more conversations with Lip but I really liked how Lip's Not So Subtle ended, so here is a little one-shot sequel focusing more on Lip and Ian's relationship then Ian and Mickey's.
> 
> Feedback is my bread and butter.
> 
>  
> 
> [Tumblr :)](http://meganwwrites.tumblr.com)


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